CVE-2026-49808

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Race Condition in Windows Kernel Allows Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-07-14

Last updated on: 2026-07-22

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows Kernel allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-07-14

Last Modified

2026-07-22

Generated

2026-08-04

AI Q&A

2026-07-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-02

NVD

CVE-2026-49808

EUVD

EUVD-2026-43833

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2269 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.33158 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2525 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.8875 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.8875 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.8875 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.8875 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
CWE-362	The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-49808 is a race condition vulnerability in the Windows Kernel. A race condition occurs when multiple processes or threads access a shared resource without proper synchronization, leading to unpredictable behavior.

In this case, the vulnerability allows an authorized attacker with local access to exploit the improper synchronization in the Windows Kernel. This could enable the attacker to elevate their privileges on the affected system.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves a race condition in the Windows Kernel that could allow privilege escalation. Detection typically requires analyzing system logs for unusual privilege changes or kernel-level anomalies. Use Windows Event Viewer to check for Event ID 4672 (Special Privileges Assigned) or Event ID 4688 (New Process Created) with suspicious privilege assignments. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can also detect anomalous kernel behavior.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability can have severe consequences for affected systems.

An attacker with local access could gain elevated privileges, allowing them to execute arbitrary code with higher permissions.
This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of malware, or complete control over the system.
The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates a high severity, meaning the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability could be significant.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could impact compliance with several standards and regulations, depending on the context of the affected system.

GDPR: If the system processes personal data of EU citizens, a privilege escalation vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to this data, violating GDPR requirements for data protection and confidentiality.
HIPAA: For systems handling protected health information (PHI), this vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to sensitive patient data, violating HIPAA's security and privacy rules.
Other standards like ISO 27001 or NIST frameworks require organizations to maintain secure systems. A privilege escalation vulnerability could indicate a failure to implement proper access controls or vulnerability management, leading to non-compliance.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the security update provided by Microsoft to address the race condition in the Windows Kernel.

Follow the guidance in the Microsoft Security Update Guide for CVE-2026-49808 to ensure the patch is correctly installed on affected systems.

Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog or use Windows Update to download and install the latest security patches.
Ensure all systems running affected versions of Windows are updated promptly to prevent local privilege escalation attacks.

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